One of James Bulger's killers could be freed from prison within weeks, it is being reported. Jon Venables was convicted alongside Robert Thompson for the abduction and killing of two-year-old James back in 1993 when the pair were both just 10 years old.
Now aged 40, Venables has reoffended twice since being released in 2001 under a new identity. He was sent back to prison in 2010 and 2017 after he was caught with child sex abuse images on his computer.
However, sources speaking to The Sun claim he now has a "strong chance" of becoming a free man after he made "positive" progress while in prison, reports the Mirror. The Parole Board will review a detailed file on the killer, including contributions from Venables, prison officers and psychiatrists, before deciding whether he will be offered an oral hearing.
It is expected that he will be offered an oral hearing, which he will be able to attend himself, due to his high profile. Any possibility of release in the early part of 2023 would come despite pleas from members of James Bulger's family to keep Venables locked up.
Speaking to the newspaper last night, his father Ralph urged Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to stick to his promise to "crack down" on the country's most violent offenders, adding: “Venables should be top of that list and never see daylight again.”
It is only the latest in a string of passionate statements throughout the year by the dad and mum Denise Fergus. Back in October she pleaded with then-Prime Minister Liz Truss to prevent his release, saying he still posed a danger to society. Venables had been hoping to secure his release in time for Christmas, but turmoil in Westminster led to it being delayed by at least three months.
Denise's spokeswoman said at the time: “The uncertainty of whether James’ killer was coming out of prison has been a great worry. Denise has had to brace herself for a call telling us that he was free.
“But this news has brought great relief and we’re delighted in the short term. She can now have a family Christmas not worrying about whether her son’s killer is walking the streets as a free man.”
Thompson was also released in 2001 under a new identity.
